Blood Glycan Biomarkers in Women With Stage IV Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

- To profile serum glycan biomarkers in women with metastatic stage IV breast cancer,
healthy controls, and patients with noncancer medical illness.

- To determine whether serial serum glycan biomarkers correlate with response of
metastatic disease to treatment.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Blood is collected from patients with metastatic breast cancer, patients with noncancerous
illness, and healthy volunteers. Samples are analyzed for serum glycan biomarkers by
matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and Fourier transform ion-cyclotron
resonance mass spectrometry (FT ICR MS) methods.

Blood samples are collected every 3 months for up to 18 months from patients with metastatic
breast cancer. Patients without cancer have a single sample collected.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Patient or participant at the Women's Health Clinic, the Internal Medicine Clinic, or
at the UC Davis Cancer Center, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Diagnosis of stage IV metastatic breast cancer, receiving active treatment with
chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, or targeted therapy

- Patients/participants without cancer

- Healthy control being seen for annual exams, meeting the following criteria:

- No chronic disease

- Not on regular prescribed medications

- Patient without cancer being seen in the Internal Medicine Clinic

- Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Menopausal status not specified

- Not pregnant or breast feeding

- No other active cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics